Sunday, 29 September 2013

Shade:
Nars has a huge range available for their powder blushes. They also have a good range of shades available in their cream blusher formulation too, although not as extensive. They often release new colours with their collections and have a number of blushes available in Duos. With 28 powder blush shades currently available on their website, there is a lot to choose from.

The colour I have is called Oasis and it's described as a 'Sparkling Pink Champagne'. On me, I'd say it leans more brown than pink, but I am very fair, so on a more tanned skin tone the blush may lean more pink. There is subtle gold shimmer in the blush but this isn't noticeable on the cheek, you can also tap the shimmer off of your brush if you wish. The shimmer on the cheeks simply adds a radiant glow, it is not like the chunky glitter you see in some blushes. I'd say this blush is good for all skintones, I like how it looks on my skin even though I'm very fair, and I think it would look just as good as somebody with a darker skintone.

Application and Pigmentation:
Nars blushes are very pigmented and you don't need a lot on your brush to go a long way. The application is easy, the blush does not look powdery or cakey at all and is easy to blend into the skin. Nars blushes are also very long lasting, this lasts all day on me without any touch ups needed..

Packaging:
Most people have a love-hate relationship with Nars packaging. Whilst it looks sleek and is very easy to carry about, it is also prone to getting marks from other makeup on it or smudges from fingerprints making it look dirty. I personally like the Nars packaging, it's very easy to put into your makeup bag, knowing that it won't get crushed and product won't break or fall out which has happened with other brand blushes before.

Pricing & Availability:
Nars blushes are certainly one of the more expensive on the market at £21.50 but their high end price tag is worth it due to their pigmentation and consistency. You can buy Oasis and browse the rest of the collection at Nars Cosmetics.

So those are my thoughts on Nars' blush in Oasis, does anyone else own this blush, it seems to be a less talked about shade. I really want to try the Nars blushes in Angelika and Sin next.

This last month has flown by so quickly. It seems like the other day when I was making my August Beauty wishlist, but that was just over a month ago! As normal, here are the products I'm currently wanting. I'm so skint I don't tend to buy most the things on these wishlists, but I can dream. I've noticed there aren't many high street products on the wishlist, I guess I'm into higher end make up at the moment.

1. Nars At First Sight Eye & Cheek Palette -£45

I've wanted a Nars Palette for as long as I can remember. I really want the Danmari Blush Palette that came out 2 years ago, but sadly it sold out before I had enough to get it. I know these are quite expensive, but I'm thinking of getting one for my Birthday. I'm not sure if this particular one will still be available as my Birthday isn't until December, but I love it all the same. I've only tried their blushes but I love them, so a palette would be a great investment for me.

2. Smashbox Fade in Eyeshadow Palette - £32

If you follow me on twitter you'll have seen me tweet about this. I have a thing for eyeshadow palettes and this is no exception. I think it has gorgeous shades in it and is more compact than my Naked palette so would be great for travel.

3. Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss - £18

I love Illamasqua, they are one of my favourite brands. I have their precision inks in Alchemy (gold) and glister (bronze) but I've never tried it in black. I love their other precision inks and really want to try the black one, as I think it'll be great for everyday use.

4. Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow - £17.50

I'm not really into cream pigments, however I've seen a lot of reviews on how great a colour this is for contouring pale skin. As a pale person, finding a good contour colour is difficult so I really want to give this one a go.

5. Bobbi Brown Bobbi & Katie Palette - £50

This is one of the things I'd never get because it's out of my budget but it looks gorgeous. The eyeshadows all look super wearable and the blushes are gorgeous.

6. Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette - £20

I've wanted this for a while. I love Urban Decay and I love palettes. I especially love cheek palettes as I love having everything in one place so that it's travel friendly. I love the look of all three of the products in this and the price is great too.

7. Stila All You Need is Love Blush Palette - £13

This just looks gorgeous, and I love that there is 4 different shades. I also think the price is excellent and is lower than a lot of highstreet blushes.

8. theBalm Down Boy Blush - £13

I've heard countless good things about theBalm's blushes and this one really caught my eye. I also think it's a great price and I love the cute packaging.

9. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Milk Chocolate - £25

I really like Too Faced's Cheek products, and I love the look of this bronzer. The thing I love most about it is the colour, the 'Milk Chocolate' colour seems much lighter than your average bronzer and would be great for my pale skin.

10. MUA Matte Palette - £4

I used to be all about the shimmery eyeshadows, but recently I've started to become more into mattes. It's quite hard to find matte palettes, so I'm really loving the look of this new one from MUA. Perfect for an everyday look.

11. Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation - £5.99

I've always wanted to try a Rimmel foundation but it is always far too dark for my skintone. I've heard that this new foundation has lighter shades, so I'm really excited to test in store to see whether or not that is true. I've heard this is a high coverage foundation too which is what I look for in a foundation.

12. Lancome Hypnose Drama by Alber Elbaz - £23

I don't think there's a person on the planet who hasn't heard the rave reviews about the Lancome Hypnose line. I've never tried the mascara but have always put it on my to-do list. I love the packaging of this though, but sadly it's only limited edition I think.

Smashbox is never usually one of my go-to brands, but I love their new collection. I really love the look of this eyeliner, it is such a gorgeous colour and I'm really intrigued by the waterproof claim.

So that's it for my current wishlist. Are you also after any of these products? Let me know what's currently on your wish list.

I recently went to town and did a bit of makeup shopping. I'm currently not buying any high-end makeup as I know all the holiday collections are coming out soon and I'll want all of them (already want so much of Urban Decay's). I had a few essentials I needed to get then picked up a few other things that caught my eye. I spent about £20 in total as Boots were having a Buy 1 get the 2nd half-price offer which was great!

MUA Lipstick 'Shade 3'
I'm always hearing so much about MUA and how good quality their prices are for such little money. This was the last thing I actually bought, I was in Superdrug and had spent most of my money then came across the MUA stand, I knew I wanted to try something, and as I'm going through a lipstick craze at the moment I chose a lipstick. The shade I really wanted (Shade 2) was only available in a tester so I settled for Shade 3. It's a really bright pink that's just gorgeous on the lips.

Barry M Ultra Moisturising Lip Paints '158' and '160'
I really love the packaging of these Barry M lipsticks. I may be wrong but I don't know any other brand with bright pink packaging. It makes them look a bit different and also helps them to stand out. I chose '158' which is this really gorgeous coral. I thought it might be similar to MAC Watch Me Shimmer but it has more orange in it. It's a really lovely colour. I also chose '160'. I love vampy colours and as Autumn is coming up I thought I'd get a new one. It's a gorgeous dark red colour (not as dark as it looks). It's similar to MAC Rebel but with more red undertones.

Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencil 'Vanilla Sky'
I have seen so many great reviews for these. I was really torn between Vanilla Sky (the one I got) and Vintage Blush which was a gorgeous champagne colour. In the end I went for this one as I thought it would be a great colour for highlighting the browbone and inner corner of the eye. They are said to be waterproof but I'm not sure how well they actually hold up.

Rimmel Day to Night Mascara 'Black'
I've been in desperate need of a mascara for a while. I was originally going to get Maybelline The Rocket, however my sister told me to get this one as she thought I'd love it. I haven't had chance to use it yet but I do like the packaging and usually like Rimmel mascaras.

Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Liner
I needed a new liquid liner as mine was quickly running out. I'd heard a lot of great reviews for this, and for the price (£3.19) I thought it was worth a try. I've only tried it quickly but I'm already impressed. It's super black and the nib is really easy to use.

So that's it for my small haul! I hope you enjoyed hearing about what I bought and I'd love to hear about any new purchases you've recently bought, or if you had any recommendations for when I next go shopping.

Friday, 20 September 2013

I've often heard things about permanent makeup or makeup tattooing. I didn't know a lot about the topic so was intrigued and decided to share my finding with you, incase you are also interested in this topic. I've tried to present as unbiased a view as I can. Also, the area of medicinal tattooing may be sensitive for some, I am not at all suggesting people should get the tattooing done, I am just giving reasons why patients have chosen to have the procedure.

What is Makeup Tattooing?
Makeup tattooing is the process by which tattoos are using to produce designs which are similar to makeup looks on the skin, such as more defined brows, permanent eyeliners, permanent lipstick etc. The makeup will be tattooed onto the skin, so no need to reapply every morning, and it will last for a long time. So you will never need to fill in your eyebrows again, they'll be shaped and filled in permanently.

How long does it last? Can it be removed?
Apparently the length of time the makeup lasts can be dependent on a lot of factors, including whether the pigments used are light or dark. Skin type can also impact, as well as age. On average, it is advised that patients have their makeup 'touched up' after 3 months.

You can have permanent makeup removed if you decide you don't like it anymore, but the laser removal is not always accurate, particularly on areas such as the eyes. Removal can be quite lengthy involving several treatments and it's pretty expensive.

Why would you choose to have permanent makeup?
There are many that choose to have it for cosmetic reasons. Those who have very sparse eyebrows that are fed up with filling them in every morning. Or those that find putting on there makeup to be a hassle. It can also be a confidence issue, for those who may not like to wake up barefaced, and would rather already have makeup on. And of course, it can be a time thing. For those in a busy job it can be the perfect solution to getting more time out of the day. It can sometimes take over 20+ minutes to apply makeup, so having your makeup on permanently means this time can be used for something else.

The procedure is also increasingly popular with men, who don't want to wear makeup yet want their natural features enhanced in a natural looking way.

Medicinal Tattooing
As well as those who choose to have makeup tattoos for cosmetic reasons, there are those that have them due to medical reasons. For example, makeup tattooing may be used to produce artificial eyebrows, where hair may have been lost due to alopecia. It can also be used to disguise scars in the skin. Those who are also no longer able to put on makeup, such as those with arthritis, may also consider the procedure. There are also those who can't wear makeup due to allergies, so this is a solution for them.

Are there risks?
As with all cosmetic procedures and tattooing there can be side effects. There may be complications in the process of makeup tattooing including allergies, scares, peeling, blistering and infection. Further complications can be caused by unsterilized equipment which could lead to infections such as Hepatitis. As with normal tattoos, there is always the risk that the person performing the procedure has not been trained correctly, which could result in poor application. If considering this, it is always best to make sure you check around for reviews of practitioners. Just search Ebay for permanent tattoo kits, I think you'll be surprised as the amount of results.

What do you think about permanent makeup? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Would you ever consider it yourself?

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?

My most inexpensive beauty item would probably have to be my MUA Eyebrow Pencil which was £1. My most expensive beauty item would have to be my YSL Manifesto Perfume which is £46.50/30ml.

WRATH

What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

I have a love/hate relationship with all of my foundations. I'll buy a foundation and fall in love with it the first few times I use it, but then I'll start to hate it and not want to wear it. I'll find it becomes cakey on me, or doesn't apply as well as it used to. The hardest product to get was probably the first Naked Palette. I got mine when it first came out and it was originally going to be limited edition, I therefore got the last one in my local Debenhams, and didn't see any new palettes for weeks!

GLUTTONY

What are your most delicious beauty products?

This was hard as I don't really have many lip products that taste nice, but I think my Fanta Fruit Twist Lipbalm is my most delicious. It tastes exactly like Fanta Fruit Twist and I always find myself licking my lips when I'm wearing it.

SLOTH

What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?

My eyebrows. I am getting better at it now since getting my MUA Eyebrow Pencil. Before I never did anything with them or if I did, they looked awful. I think I'm getting the hang of it now though.

PRIDE

What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

Foundation. I don't have perfect skin (it's not awful just a bit of redness and the odd blemish) and it really gets me down. I can't leave the house without wearing my foundation, but can leave it without wearing anything else. If I have nice skin, I feel a lot more confident in myself. I think bright lipstick also makes me feel more confident too, as it makes me feel glamorous and I always get people complimenting my lip colour.

LUST

What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

Good hair. It is the first thing I notice, I'm not one of those people that dislikes guys who spend time on their appearance. In fact, I like guys who take the effort to straighten their hair or add styling product too it, us girls have to go through a lot of effort so it's nice to see a guy making some for a change!

ENVY

What items would you most like to receive as a gift?

The Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer in 01 Blondes, I've had my eye on it for a while and think it is stunning, but sadly the high price tag means it's out of my student budget.

I wasn't tagged by anyone but loved the look of this tag so decided to do it anyway! If you would like to do it too, go ahead!

So second post of the day here. Usually I'd schedule this because I try and make sure my posts are consistent (usually 1 every other day) but I thought I should try and get this post out as soon as possible. In case you aren't aware, Rimmel have recently released a new foundation called the 'Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation'. It's supposed to leave you skin looking Matte and not leave your skin looking greasy. I thought I'd share this post in case anyone who is thinking of buying this foundation finds it helpful.

I had a sample of this and thought I'd show you a comparison of it compared to some of the other of my foundations. I had the sample of this in 100 Ivory, but I've since learned that there is actually a paler shade in 010 Light Porcelain. I'm off to Boots next weekend so will be sure to swatch it in store and let you know if it's a good pale shade.

As you can see in the swatches, this is a lot darker than my other foundations, and way too dark for me to use (the Revlon is my best match). I often struggle to find matches for my skin colour in Rimmel foundations which is a huge shame as I really want to try their foundations. If you are looking to order this online and do have pale skin, I wouldn't go for the 100 Ivory. It's not a great fit for someone who's pale, but I'm hoping that the Porcelain is.

First Impression

As I only had a sample this is not a comprehensive review by any means. I also can't comment on wear time as I didn't wear this for long as I couldn't leave the house in a foundation far too dark for my skintone. However, on first impression I really liked this foundation. I found it really easy to apply, I just used my fingers and it applied evenly to the skin and didn't cling to any of my dry patches. I also really liked how far it went. I had the smallest amount on my finger and managed to cover half of my face.

As for it being matte, I'd agree. I don't have oily skin but it did give a matte finish even without powder. It was also good coverage. I'd say it is quite a thick foundation though, so it's not the sort to go for if you want a light, natural looking foundation. I really liked it as I do like the higher coverage foundations, and if Porcelain is a match for me, I will pick it up.

I hope you found this post helpful if you are considering buying this foundation. It retails for £5.99 from Superdrug.

Okay, so I haven't posted any of these in a while so thought I'd do another look. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of this look, but that's more because I'm a very boring, safe person when it comes to clothes. However, because it's quite unique I knew I'd have a lot of fun tracking down similar clothes, and I did.

The Yin Yang Bomber Jacket is probably the center piece of this whole outfit, and I think I've tracked down the actual jacket that Cara is wearing. It's from Nasty Gal and is pretty pricy at over $250, but it does seem to be one of a kind. After searching through google over and over, it seems to be the only thing remotely like this on the market.

The leather look trousers are always available, and I found some reasonably priced ones from River Island. I personally love the look of leather look trousers, however I'm only 5'2 so think they would look awful on me. They look great on Cara though.

The shoes were harder to find, as by my own admission, I'm not really very knowledgeable about footwear. Sure I like my ballerina flats and my heels, but when it comes to trainers and high-tops and low-tops (if that is a thing?) I'm clueless. I managed to find these ones from Rieker which I think look quite similar to the ones Cara is wearing, and they aren't too bad a price either.

Finally, you can't really see the t-shirt Cara is wearing, but it seems to be a grey and white crop top of some sorts. I've just gone with a simple top from Asos that's only £15.

So that's it for my 'Steal Her Look'. Let me know what you think and if there's any other celebrity looks you'd like me to try and recreate.

Saturday, 14 September 2013

I'm always on the search for the perfect foundation for my skin. I recently stumbled upon Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation and have been using it for the past 6 months. I've nearly run out of it, so thought now was time for me to tell you my thoughts on it, having used it for a long period. Cover FX is a less known about brand, and there aren't as many reviews on the foundation, so I thought I'd post my thoughts to help those who are considering this foundation.

Packaging:
I really like the packaging of this. While it may not feel luxurious or expensive, it's really easy to carry around. I find that foundation is the most essential thing in my makeup bag, yet it is the hardest thing to carry around with you. As much as I love glass bottles, if these were to smash in my bag, it would be chaos. I also don't like carrying foundations with pumps or loose lids around with me as I don't want product leaking into my bag. The packaging of this is very lightweight and it is easy to put in your makeup bag with no worries of it coming open. The lid is also securely closed. You can also easily see how much product you have left.

The product also comes with a mirror which makes it easier to touch up on the go. It also comes with a sponge for application, but as you can see, I haven't used that.

Colour:
On the House of Fraser website, there are 27 different shades of this foundation available. I have this in the second lightest shade and you can see it's pretty pale. In fact, I think this foundation is just a hint too pale for me. This shade range is some of the best I've seen, catering for the very light skin tones to the very dark. They also cater for different undertones. The N range is neutral, the P range is for pink tones and the G range is for golden undertones.

Coverage:
This is where this foundation works its magic. It is the most high coverage foundation I have ever used, it can cover up anything -blemishes, really bad dark circles etc. This will either be a positive or a negative. If you love high coverage foundation, this will be perfect for you. However, if you love the natural look or only like to wear a light coverage (such as a BB Cream) you will not like this foundation. It is also difficult to sheer it out as it's a cream formulation. I've also heard of people using this foundation only as a concealer due to its high coverage.It claims to be able to be used to cover up tattoos and really bad scars, I don't have have either of the two so can't test it out. In the two photos above you can see how well it covered up the black pen on my hand, this shows the type of coverage you can get.

Application:
I find this a bit harder to apply than a liquid foundation. You need to make sure to warm up the product into your hand and make sure you use a blending brush to blend it into the skin. Once blended, it does look more blended into your skin than a liquid foundation. The only downside is that I find it takes longer to apply this foundation, which can be a pain if you are in a hurry. I find the best way to apply this is with my fingers in dots all over my face, then to blend this together with a buffing brush.

This foundation also contains SPF 30 which is great for protecting your skin.

Availability and Pricing:
Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation is £34.00 and available from House of Fraser.

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

So as part of my university series today I'm going to be talking about things you should pack for uni. I'm focusing on the things that may not be at the front of your mind, or may be easy to forget about. These are all things which I needed and used during my first year at uni.

1. Laundry Hamper/Basket
This may not be at the top of your agenda but they're really handy and often forgotten about. This is helpful to store your dirty clothes in while your waiting for a big enough load to wash them. (Washing your clothes at uni can be expensive, for me it was £2.50 a wash and £1 a dry, so it's best to wait until you've got a big bundle of clothes before doing washing). It's also helpful for transporting your clothes to the laundry room as it will probably be a short walk from your room.

2. A Doorstop
These are essential in my opinion, on the first day you want to appear as friendly as possible and having your door open is one way to achieve that. If your door is locked/shut people will be more intimidated and may not want to knock. Remember, everyone is feeling nervous and out of their comfort zone.

3. Washing tablets, not powder
I didn't realise until after I got to Uni that my washing machines would only take tablets and had no draw for washing up powder. I recommend taking tablets as you'll always be able to use tablets.

4. Films
I really recommend taking a selection of your favourite films. You can't go out every night as the costs mount up pretty quickly. A great night in is watching a film with your friends, it doesn't cost anything and can be great to discover new films you may have never seen.

5. Clothes Hangers
Chances are you won't be provided with hangers, or if you are, nowhere near enough. Make sure to try and bring as many as possible. If you can hang up your clothes then there's less chance of them getting creased and so less chance of you needing to iron them.

6. Passport Photos
It's best taking some of these, you have no idea what you'll need or want to apply for once you get there, and it's far better to already have them than to have to try and find a photo booth in a new town/city you may not know very well at all.

7. Photographs of friends/family
It's natural to get homesick, so having these around your room will help make you feel better. Also, your student room will often be bland and boring so these are a great addition that can easily brighten up your room and make it look more personalised.

8. Whitetack/Pins
You can't use Blu Tack on university walls incase it leaves marks, but you can use white tack. I'd suggest bringing some of these with you so you can put up posters in your room to decorate it. I'd also bring pins for the corkboard, as you may want to put up photographs or important documents.

So that is pretty much all of the things I can thing of, I hope this helped some of you, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

Monday, 9 September 2013

Benefit Watt's Up! is one of my favourite Benefit products. It's still a recent addition to their cosmetics line and is noticeably different to the other highlighters they produce (Such as High Beam and Moon Beam). This is one of the most beautiful highlighters I have ever used, it leaves a very natural sheen to your skin without leaving you looking like a disco ball.

The Claim:

'This cream-to-powder highlighter turns up the wattage with a delicate, gorgeous champagne glow. Its smooth application and luminous sheen switches on the "wow" factor for any complexion. Apply it to cheeks and browbones, then sculpt with the soft-glow blender for your perfect gleam.'

Packaging:
As always, Benefit is top-dog when it comes to makeup packaging. Their fun and quirky packaging is eye drawing, and their cute names make a product memorable. I love the packaging of this and was drawn to it initially because of it. I also like the name 'Watt's Up' which is a play on words, and the bottle then looks a bit like a lightbulb.

The product has two sides. The first side is a sponge applicator to blend the product into your face. I actually like the applicator, which is a surprise as I tend to hate the applicators that come with products. The only worry I would have is that the sponge could possible attract bacteria as it would be difficult to clean.

The second side of the product is the highlighter itself, it work by twisting it up and then either applying it straight to the cheeks or using a brush. I tend to mix between methods depending on if I'm traveling or not. I find it easiest to apply straight from the applicator, but more precise to use a brush.

Application:
I've already briefly touched on this, but application is really easy. It is also a very creamy formula so it is incredible easy to blend. I don't usually wear cream highlighters but I've found that they are much easier to blend than both liquid and powder highlighters, which can sometimes be a bit more difficult to blend into your foundation.

Pigmentation:
As you can see in the swatch it is a very pigmented product and a little goes a long way. It does look dark on my fair skin but it is easy to blend in (I could have blended the swatch in more but it would have been hard to photograph the effect). I like to wear this just above my bronzer to add a sheen to it. I still use this in the winter though when I use less bronzer, it adds a very natural 'lit from within' glow to my face.

Lasting Power:
The lasting power of this is good too. I've gotten 8+ hours of wear out of this. It's also incredibly easy to touch up due to the creamy texture. So even though a powder formula may last a bit longer, it's a lot easier to touch it up than it would be to touch up a powder highlighter.

Availability and Price:
The Benefit Watt's Up! Highlighter is available for £24.50 from Benefit Cosmetics.

I highly recommend this highlighter, it's one of my favourites in my makeup bag. It has such a gorgeous sheen to it and highlights the skin beautifully. It is on the pricier side but you get a lot of product and it lasts ages.

Saturday, 7 September 2013

So as fresher's week is coming up for some of you I thought I'd share with you what to expect. All of this is based on my own experience and experiences of my friends. I'm hoping to help you know exactly what you should expect, as I know not many people know what to expect when they first go. I was one of the last of my friends to go to uni, so I had the benefit of hearing other people's stories, but I was still so so nervous. Most of the things you read about fresher's week will either be from the university themselves (and they won't give you the full picture) or from the media where they try and make out that students are running wild in the streets and drinking their own body weight in alcohol. I'm going to try and give you a realistic picture of what to expect, hopefully to put your minds at ease.

Meeting your flat/housemates for the first time
I'm not going to lie to you, the very first time you all meet it will be a bit awkward. But you don't need to worry about that, it will soon go and by the end of the week you will all be chatting and feel like you've made true friends. If you want my suggestion, if you know your flat number before university, try posting on facebook pages to see if you can find your flatmates online. I knew 11 out of 12 of my flatmates before going and I found this helped a ton. I didn't feel so anxious as I already knew bits about some of the people I was going to be living with.

Home-sickness
It is natural to get this, and please don't worry if you do. I know the minute that my parents first left me I was so nervous, I just didn't know what to do with myself and wanted them to come back and take me home. If you do get home-sick, just ring up your parents and have a quick chat or send them a quick message. The big thing to keep in mind is that this is natural. PLEASE do not go rushing home after 2 days deciding to give up university because you miss home and haven't settled yet. I know of some people that quit uni after less than a week, and in my opinion this is a huge mistake. If you feel like wanting to leave, please give it as least a month. It's going to take a while to get used to being at university and being apart from your family, and after a while you become used to it and will actually grow to like the independence. Remember your family and friends are only a phonecall away.

Cooking
Some people will have been cooking their own meals for a while and will not be worried by this at all. However, if you are anything like me, you won't be able to cook anything. At the start of uni I couldn't cook a thing, I lived on pasta and beans on toast. I'm by no means a pro chef now, but I can cook a lot more than I could when I first started! If anyone is interested, I could do a post on simple meals that I like to make, that even the worst cooks like me will be able to manage. Don't be afraid to ask your flatmates for help on how to cook certain things, it's a great learning experience. If you want to be prepared, maybe start helping with dinner at home beforehand or asking your parents to help show you how to make certain meals.

Nights Out
This is one of the best ways to bond with your flat. Now, if you don't like clubbing or going out this may not be up your street, but please try to go out on the very first night it's a great way to bond with your flat and get over that awkwardness you feel the first day. Out of all my friends, if any of them regret anything about freshers week, it is that they didn't go out more. You don't have to drink or do anything you don't want to, it is entirely up to you. If you don't want to go out, hopefully there are alternative events, and do your best to go to them.

Chances are you'll meet a lot of people at these events, some you may keep in touch with, some you won't. If you do make friends with someone, try finding out their facebook or which accommodation they are at so you can keep in touch with them.

Remember, the great thing about uni is you don't stop making friends. Some of my closest friends I met in second term, whilist others I was really close with in first term I'm not so close to anymore.

Early Starts
Every uni is different, but for mine, I had course inductions and then fire safety/introduction talks taking place in the mornings of freshers week. Please make sure you got these, set your alarm (or set several) before you go out so you don't forget. A lot of these (especially fire safety) are compulsory, and if you don't do it now, you'll have to do it at a later date.

Fresher's Flu
Yes, it's a thing and many people get it. The reason behind it is because you are mixed with so many people from so many different places. Add to that a probably unhealthy lifestyle for the first week and a lack of sleep, and it's no wonder people get ill. To try and combat it, make sure to drink a lot of water and eat as well as possible. Also, bring cold/flu medicines with you, you don't want it to spoil your week.

Making Friends
Ok, so this kind of follows on from what I've already said. Everybody is in the same boat, everyone is nervous. Try and start up conversations or say hello to people, in fresher's week people will be so grateful you've done it and it isn't considered weird at all. In fresher's week everyone is trying to talk to as many people as possible and make as many friends as they can, so take advantage of this and do the same. After fresher's it becomes a lot harder to meet people or start chatting to people you don't know.

Fresher's Fair/Societies
Societies are a great way to meet people, and if I have one regret from my first year it's that I didn't join enough of them. Go to your fresher's fair and sign up for things that interest you, and actually go to them. They are a great way to make friends outside of your course/flat who have similar interests.

So that's all I can think of for the moment, I'm sorry it was such a long post but I wanted to make sure I included everything. If you have any questions feel free to comment or email me at beautybucketlist@gmail.com

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Hey guys, as you may know I have incredibly pale skin and am always on the look out to find the perfect foundation to suit my skin colour. On my blog I have posted swatches of pale foundations here and here, and have more foundations to swatch today.

Today, I have swatched the shade '01 Bare' from the Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint range. This is the palest colour that Liz Earle currently stock.

The foundation shade that the Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint is most similar to is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. The Liz Earle is slightly lighter and a tad more yellow based. The Liz Earle definitely has yellow undertones rather than pink undertones, which are obvious when compared to a pink based foundation such as the Urban Decay one.

The Liz Earle is slightly too dark for me to wear as I do have pale skin but if you are slightly darker than my skin colour I can see this working. If you are very fair though, you may have to do some blending if you want to wear this.

Monday, 2 September 2013

I'm not one of those people that use a lot of products on my hair. Sure I curl it with curling wand quite a bit, and sometimes I straighten it, but that's pretty much all I really do to my hair. I'm rubbish with trying to put my hair into nice hairstyles and I don't have the time to spend ages on time and prefer to spend my time on my makeup rather than my hair. My sister is the opposite though, she has so many hair products its ridiculous. I recently saw this when I was in the haircare section of Boots and had heard good things about sea salt spray so decided to pick it up.

Toni & Guy's Claim:

'Creates texture and body with light to medium hold. Suitable for all hair types and perfect for achieving a lived in, beach look. Spritz evenly root to tip, on towel-dried or dry hair and work through to create tousled waves and natural movement.

For extra hold and texture, layer through dry hair and re-style with fingers.'

I love this spray. It helps create texture in your hair. It really give you that beach look which it claims to do. It is really easy to apply you just spray it in your hair and scrunch it up with your fingers to get that tousled beach-hair look. You can control how textured your hair is by how much you apply and how much you mess with your hair. It does look very natural and looks simply windswept.

I personally apply this on dry hair as I don't like to style my hair wet. I find it is easier to see what I'm doing and how my hair will look.

My Hair with Sea Salt Spray

It also leaves your hair smelling like the sea which I personally love. I smell my hair and it makes me think of being at the beach!

The only thing I'd be careful is that this could potentially make your hair look greasy if you applied too much. I'm lucky that I have quite dry hair so my hair doesn't tend to look greasy, but if you have oily hair I'd be careful with how much you apply.

I love how easy this is to apply too. I hate spending a lot of time on my hair. And curling my hair usually takes about 20 minutes. This gives a similar effect and only takes me a couple of minutes. It has also meant I use heat products on my hair less often, which is a good thing!

Does it last?
It does last pretty well. I found this did last all day but after about 5+ hours the hair does start to lose some its texture. I don't tend to use hairspray on my hair though, so lasting time could be improved.

Packaging:
This is a small bottle so its really light and portable. It's perfect for travel and its a good size to put into your hand bag if you want to use it during the day. I also really like the blue tones of the bottle as it reminds me of the sea.

Pricing and Availability:
The 75ml bottle (which I have) is only £2.19 and I can see it lasting a good while. You can get a 200ml bottle for £7.19 so it's definitely on the cheap side. You can get it from Boots.